Beneath The Rubble
by Hxstia
Summary: In the aftermath of Kuvira's attack on the warehouse, Kai finds Jinora in a less than desired condition. "He turned on his heel, already beginning his search when Bolin called him back. "It's Jinora," he said slowly, "she's not in good shape.""
1. Her Stupid Foot

**This is set immediately after Kuvira's Gambit, in which (SPOILERS FOR EPISODE 11) Kuvira blows everyone up with her giant mecha. So if you have NOT caught up yet, do NOT read this. Bookmark it for later or something. Trust me you'll want to watch it first.**

**Anyways, as a general reminder for all you hillbillies that DON'T KNOW, the series finale and the conclusion to the Avatar franchise is airing next Friday, so lets all put together our hands and pray for Kai to SPEAK, because he hasn't done that since the first episode and that really pisses me off.**

**As always, all characters belong to Bryke, none of them are of my own creation. I'm just borrowing them to play House.**

**Story, ensue.**

* * *

><p>Kai winced as he stumbled out into the light. It blinded him momentarily, leaving him staggering in circles. When the dark spots finally cleared from his eyes, he could faintly make out voices asking him if he was alright.<p>

He simply nodded, still too shocked to speak.

One minute they'd sealed the deal with Bataar Jr and the next they were blown sky high. Kai'd barely managed to pull Jinora to her feet before they were hit.

His breathing hitched and he stopped moving.

_Jinora._

Ignoring the stinging in his eyes, Kai scanned the premises. Everyone had gotten out. Right?

He squinted into the sunlight, quickly trying to pick out Jinora from in between all the rubble. His heart rate was picked up as he realized he couldn't spot her.

_Was she still in the building? Did she not get out?_

"_Bolin_!" he yelled for the earthbender. A faint yelp of acknowledgement came from his left.

"Sorry, I'm kinda in the middle of something here!"

Bolin was still taking the brunt of the weight of a heavy slab of concrete, ushering out a couple of airbenders. His face was contorted from the effort and Kai knew he couldn't hold on much longer.

"Has Jinora come through there?" he shouted, trying to raise his voice above the ruckus. Either he hadn't heard him or he couldn't answer, and Kai should have left it at that. Instead he raised his voice even louder, repeating his question.

As the last few people came straggling out into the day light, Bolin heaved a loud grunt and let go of his grip on the heavy stone, ducking out in the nick of time. Sweat rolled profusely down his cheeks as he took deep breaths.

"Sorry, Kai," he managed to say in between gasps, " yeah, she's out. She was with Ikki and some other airbender."

Kai released a breath he hadn't known he'd been holding.

Okay.

Jinora was alright.

_Okay._

He turned on his heel, already beginning his search when Bolin called him back.

"_Kai_!" he yelled at the younger boy from where he was resting. The earth bender drew a nervous breath, as intense green eyes bore into his skull, waiting for him to continue.

"It's Jinora," he said slowly, "she's not in good shape."

Kai didn't hear the rest. He'd already broke into a sprint, dashing about looking for her.

"Kai," a soft voice stopped him in his tracks. He turned and his heart sank all the way into the pit of his stomach.

"_Jinora..._"

She was lying on the floor staring up at him.

"Where's Ikki?" he asked, crouching down beside her.

"She went to get our dad." was what he heard her say, but by then he didn't really care about her sister anymore.

The Jinora in front of him was paler than he'd ever seen her before. Her clothes and hair covered in small debris and- wait, was her ankle supposed to be pointing that way?

He exhaled violently, to the point where it was almost painful, "Jinora, _your foot_." he managed to say in a hoarse whisper.

"Yeah, I know," she mumbled, managing a brave smile. It wavered as she slowly raised her hand to take his. "But I'm fine. So don't worry about me."

Here she was lying in a pile of rubble with a broken ankle and _she_ was the one comforting _him_. Jinora with the broken ankle was comforting _him_.

_This was all Kuvira's fault._

A swelling, white hot lump of anger seared in his chest, threatening to spill out at any moment.

"Kai?"

_Who was that lady to take their city? To hurt _Jinora_? Who did she think she was?_

Kai pulled away from Jinora's grasp and made to stand up, when he was forcefully pulled back down again. He turned his sharp gaze down towards her, her hands wrapped around his wrist.

"Where do you think you're going?" she said, looking the slightest bit hurt.

His expression softened, but not completely. Running his fingers through her hair, he leant down and planted a soft kiss on her forehead.

"I'm going to turn Kuvira's giant metal monster into a giant pile of spare parts."

"Kai, _no_."

"Jinora," he snapped, "she broke you're foot."

"Ankle. The _concrete_ broke my _ankle_."

He didn't even bat an eyelash, and continued as if she hadn't said anything at all.

"Because of her weapon."

"_Look_," Jinora heaved a loud sigh, "once I'm all patched up we can go rip apart her mecha together, okay? But right now I want you here with me."

She carefully cupped his cheek with her hand and flashed him a wanton smile. "_Please_?"

He faltered at her grin and drew a shaky breath. "_Fine_, " he relented, taking hold of her hand again. "but Jin-"

"_Jinora!_"

Like a gust of wind, Tenzin flew past Kai towards his eldest daughter, Ikki and Meelo hot on his heels. "What happened? Are you hurt?"

Jinora's lips parted in surprise, "Dad-"

Not bothering to wait for her answer, he rounded on Kai. "What happened to her?"

"Her ankle's broken."

"_What_?" Kai winced at the master airbender's booming voice.

"_Dad_,"

"Oh, Jinora." Tenzin muttered under his breath.

"Kai," The sound of his name jolted him back to reality.

"Yes, sir?"

The airbending master looked troubled. He reluctantly sighed. "Take Jinora's hand and don't let go until it's time to go, do you understand me?"

That surprised both parties, but Kai was in no position to say no. He grip her hand and she gave it a little squeeze in return. Her palms felt soft and minute in his own, which was an oddly comforting thing.

It was a bit awkward, though, with her siblings peering at her over his shoulder.

"We're going to have to set your foot. There's a clinic nearby. So once everyone's ready we'll head there first, so just hang on a bit, okay?"

Jinora merely nodded, but Kai could tell she was scared. Her breathing was more forced and she wouldn't meet Master Tenzin's eyes.

"But I won't lie to you- It's going to hurt. It's going to hurt _a lot_. So brace yourself, but don't panic. Kai will be here to watch over you, okay?"

His reply was another mute nod.

Tenzin shot Kai one last meaningful look, and took off to round up the stragglers.

Once they were left to their own devices, she closed her eyes. "_I don't want to do it_."

"What?"

"I don't want to set my ankle. I've done it for Meelo before and he was crying for _hours on end_." She looked up at him then, her eyes big and round, and glistening with tears. "_I'm scared_."

He felt his heart lurch towards her. _Jinora was scared._ And he couldn't do anything about it. _Jinora was crying_. And he couldn't know anything about that either. Because the truth was that_ Kai was just as scared_. _That Kai wanted to cry too_. But he knew he couldn't. He'd never felt so entirely useless in his life. Not ever.

He lay down next to her slowly, never letting go of her hand. Pressing his face into the crook of her neck, he murmured some what helplessly, "I'm sorry. I don't know what to do."

Kai's breath was a wash of warmth against her skin. It relaxed her in a way. So did the way he wrapped his arms around her as if he meant to be a full body shield. They hadn't been able to be in this close a proximity in a long time. _Too long_. And she'd really missed it.

It was familiar.

It was _Kai_.

"It's okay," she said, so softly that he could only just make it out.

He didn't look up at her, but he did pull her closer. "Really?"

A faint "Mhm." tickled his ear lobe.

Quietly, he pulled away from her neck to face her. Kai examined her pale skin, her ragged hair, her tired eyes, and he swore in Raava's name that as long as he lived, he would _never_ let something like this happen again.

"Why?"

Jinora laughed. It was a simple, sound of happiness, but it seemed to affect the atmosphere.

The tension in the air melted away, along with any of his doubts, and fears. The air seemed almost shocked. Kai reckoned that laughing wasn't a normal thing to do in a situation like this and a miniscule part of him felt a little worried. But nonetheless, he returned it with a grin of his own.

Things didn't seem so dark anymore.

It was brighter now.

_She was brighter now._

Her laughs slowly faded into a infectiously wide grin.

"_I'm not scared anymore_."

And that was when Kai decided that this girl in front of him, this girl with the messy hair, and the broken ankle, and the debris coated face, was the most beautiful thing in the world.

* * *

><p><strong>So, I hope you enjoyed that, and if you did, you could leave a review in the box below. It really means a lot to me! <strong>

**I really tried to make it close to canon Kai, whom we all know has a bit of an anger issue with literally anyone and anything that touches Jinora. I hope that it seems realistic enough? Or was it just sappy piece of klunk? Aw well. That's the fun of being a writer, right? You keep on at it until it doesn't even resemble shit anymore.  
><strong>

**Thanks for reading, and have a good day!**

** Hxstia**


	2. Her Slightly-Less-Stupid Foot

Hey! You've made it to the second chapter of Beneath The Rubble. Now, this is based on the finale, more specifically, the wedding, and set in an AU. The one where everything's the same, just following the events of the last chapter, in which Jinora got a little hurt.

The Zhurrick feels, though. I thought it'd be a pretty terrible idea to pair anyone up with Varrick at first, but I must say I'm REALLY impressed. I'm liking him a lot better now.

As usual, a disclaimer: These characters belong to Bryke, and I promise I'll return them once I'm done.

Anyways on with the story!

* * *

><p>Staring out into the crowd of dancers, Jinora sighed as she buried her face in her arms and sank into the only empty table, desperately trying to block out the music. She wasn't in the mood for celebrations. Sure, they'd defeated Kuvira and her army, but they'd done it without her. She just hoped her face didn't look as awful as she felt.<p>

It was a childishly selfish thought, and she wasn't denying it, but it was so humiliating to sit by the sidelines while the other airbenders, the airbenders she trained, fought on the front line. Jinora cursed her foot all the way to the spirit world and back.

She'd tried convincing her father that it wasn't that bad- that she could still help them out. He responded with a resounding "No."

She could feel all of the pent up irritation, the worry, all of it bubbling in her chest, trying to force its way out into the open. Balling her fists in her lap, Jinora's breathing grew heavier, forcefully trying to maintain an appearance of calmness.

She _hated_ this.

She hated this _feeling_.

It was such an ugly thing.

This feeling- this overwhelming sense of uselessness- was going to devour her alive, and she didn't know how to stop it, but she had to do just that right now.

Maybe a little jolt, to shake things up? She thought to herself, unsure. It was not a good idea in the least, but she had to try something, didn't she?

With a tiny grunt, Jinora drew back her leg- no longer in it's makeshift splint, but in a proper cast - and before she could change her mind, kicked the table leg with all her might.

There was nothing at first, which initially confused her, until the delayed streak of searing hot pain shot up her foot all the way to her spine. She stifled a yelp against the back of her hand as her vision blurred. Black spots danced across her eyes as she drew deep, wobbly breaths. Blinking back tears, she glared peevishly at the table cloth, as if it had personally offended her.

Quickly brushing away any signs of moisture, Jinora bit back a very unethical word, mentally making a promise to herself that she would never do something as awespiringly stupid as that ever again. What in the world was she _thinking_?

She was still feeling awful and _now_ she'd probably broken her ankle all over again.

_Monkey feathers_, that hurt.

Thankfully though, the band was loud enough to drown out the sound of her exclamation so almost no one had heard it.

Almost.

"What happened to _you_?" a smooth, laughing voice called out from behind her. She whipped around to find herself face to face with Kai. Lurching back in surprise, she almost fell off her chair, when a strong pair of arms grabbed her by her shoulders. Like most of the airbenders including Jinora, he simply donned his glider suit. She couldn't help but flush slightly, as he gently pulled her back into her seat.

"Um... _Thanks_?"

Kai shot her a thousand watt grin that made her want to melt into a puddle as he plopped down into a seat next to her. "Still a bit jittery, huh?"

She tried for one of her own, but it came out more of a meek grimace. Evidently he'd noticed, cautiously raising an eyebrow, but otherwise he said nothing.

"Yeah," her foot was still throbbing, but she managed a tiny laugh. "just a little."

"Is that so..." he breathed so softly she almost didn't hear it. She felt a chill run down her spine when she caught him giving her an odd look. It was almost... _Disappointed_?

Jinora made to ask him about it, but the moment passed so quickly that she wasn't given the chance. In a blink of an eye the look was gone, and replacing it was another huge toothy smile. "Y'know, I came over here thinking I'd find some poor animal Varrick'd stepped on, but I think I like the current turnout more."

That made her feel better enough to laugh a little, and she felt the pain subside. But only a bit. "Why would Varrick be stepping on animals?"

Kai rolled his eyes and nodded in the direction of the dance floor. "Have you _seen_ him dancing?"

Jinora turned, and true enough, Varrick was moving like a madman. He whirled Zhu-li across the floor like a hurricane, bumping into people left and right, all the while with a crazy grin permanently etched across his face. His wife was screaming apologies at everyone over Varrick's shoulder as they aggressively waltzed their way past the band, almost knocking over one of the performers.

"That's... Kind of amazing." she admitted, eyes still fixated on the chaotic couple.

"Yup," Kai laughed. His expression quickly morphed into concern as the newly-weds veered dangerously close to their table and Jinora scrambled into another seat. Just in time too, because Varrick had crashed into it, and he didn't so much wince as he yanked Zhu-li away again, not before she hollered another apology and then rounding on Varrick. The billionaire simply laughed and swung her around.

Sometime in between the ruckus, Kai had started smiling again. "I'm a bit worried for her safety. " He nudged her lightly.

Jinora felt as if some of warmth the couple was radiating seeped into her chest. It was a comfortable warmth, like a summer breeze that signified the coming of a new season, unlike the blistering burns that had been plaguing her for the past few days. Just watching the two so happy together made her feel lighter already.

" Well I don't think you have anything to worry about there." she said, still eyeing the two as they spun across the floor.

She had to admit it- Jinora'd had her doubts at first, but they really were a good couple.

A gentle smile settled across her lips. "After all," she whispered, "she was smiling."

"That's good," Kai nodded agreeably.

"So does that mean that you're feeling better now?"

"What?"

"Well," Kai began, somewhat hesitant, "there's obviously something bothering you that you don't want to tell me about. So have you come to terms with whatever it is, yet?"

Jinora parted her lips in a surprised O. Sometimes Kai's intuition was scarily good.

"Well?"

"It's- it's not that I don't want to tell you," she stammered, "but-"

"But _what_, Jinora?" he asked, slightly exasperated. "Don't you trust me?"

"_Of course I do!_ Don't ever say that." her voice was brittle with shock.

_How could he even say that_?

"None of this is your fault or anything, it's mine. I haven't told you about it because... Well because I was _embarrassed_, okay?"

Pulling her legs on to the chair and into her chest, Jinora hid her face in her knees and felt her hair pool like a curtain around her neck. She didn't want him to see her like this.

There was no sound from him at first. Not a rustle in the air, nor a spoken word. They sat in silence, each waiting for the other to go first.

Jinora was just about to look up, when she felt a pair of arms wrap around her waist and pull her into a chest. She was suddenly very painfully aware of how close they were.

"_Kai_?" she asked his chest, confused.

"Shh, just a while more." his warm breath tickled the nape of her neck as he held her in silence, unwilling to let go.

Pressed against his length, Jinora could make out a steady thumping through the thin material of his suit. She felt her breathing slow as well, subconsciously trying to match his pace. It was calming, in a way Jinora hadn't experienced in a while now.

"I'm sorry. " Kai said after what seemed like an eternity- Not that Jinora minded, of course- "I'm sorry if I made you uncomfortable or upset or anything else. If you don't want to talk about it, we don't have to. You can tell me anything, but only if you're comfortable with it. Just know that I'm always on your side no matter what, okay?"

Despite the fact that it was pretty cold at this time of the night, Jinora felt warm. Warmer than she'd ever been in her life.

Slowly, she coiled her arms around his neck and hugged him properly, before she pulled away. Drawing a tremulous breath, she turned to face him, her lips in a taut line and her dark, chocolate eyes focused.

"_Thank you,_ Kai. _Really_. But I think that if I don't, I'll end up going mad." Inhaling deeply again, she braced herself. "When I was with the evacuees," she murmured, "I couldn't do anything. They were all looking to me, because I was a bender, but I couldn't help them. I was useless to them. I was useless to all of them."

Kai opened his mouth to interject, but Jinora held up a hand, wanting to finish first. He simply nodded, graceful enough to look sheepish.

"It was the same in the big fight. All of you were fighting on the front lines to save Republic City, while I rode a _badgermole_ to safety." She went on helplessly, flinging her arms up in the air expressively. Turning to Kai, she silently pleaded with him to understand. He had to understand.

When he said nothing, Jinora continued, aware that she was sounding more hysterical by the minute.

"I mean I _know_ it's stupid, and selfish of me to think this way, but I can't help it! Republic City is my home too, and when it needed me most, I sat dark nd watched it burn."

It almost shocked her when Kai wordlessly took her hands in his own and pressed them against his cheek. "It's not stupid." he voiced in a whisper.

"_No, no it is_-"

"_It's not stupid._" He repeated, cutting her off. "It's just human."

His gaze was kind and green, as it always was and she couldn't help but to get lost in it. Underneath his rough exterior, he was a ridiculously gentle spirit. Mischievous, no doubt, but also unwaveringly kind. It was the first thing Jinora had noticed about him during their first encounter. It had nothing to do with his scruffy, boyish good-looks, or his natural charismatic flair. It was something an intelligent little girl had spotted hiding underneath the whole charade. Something that said little girl liked very much.

"I felt the same way, you know? When I found you on the ground, looking like you were halfway to the spirit world?"

Jinora stared at him, not fully sure she understood what he was talking about. It could be said that she was still rather lost in her thoughts.

"The explosion." he clarified, fully well knowing that look she was giving him.

Clearing his throat, Kai continued. "I felt like I was useless. You were in pain, and I couldn't do anything about it. I just had to sit there, and wait for it to pass."

"But that wasn't your fault," She blanched. _Was he really this upset about it? _

Shaking his head, he answered in a defeated whisper. "Even if it wasn't, it still felt _awful." _ His brow was furrowed and his eyes wouldn't meet hers. "I know _exactly _how you're feeling, Jinora. You comforted me back then. So now it's my turn."

Slowly, he raised his head and grasped Jinora by the shoulders. His eyes bore into hers as if he could see something behind them. And maybe he could.

"It's alright." he said, giving her a little shake. "We'll get through this together, okay? Because if you're useless, then I'm useless too."

"But you're not useless." She spluttered before she could stop herself.

"And neither are you," he countered, "but if you absolutely insist on going down that path, I'll go down with you." Grinning at her expression, he continued, "After all, if I left you to your own devices, you'd just turn into a stick in the mud, just like Old Man Tenzin."

Her response was purely a reflex- a quick swat to head, but he didn't seem to mind.

"My dad's not _that_ old."

Kai laughed, noting her lack of objection towards the rest. "Oh well, you'll still be the prettiest stick there is."

Jinora cracked a smile and gave him a playful shove, but he caught her and pulled her in closer. She froze as he began to lean in.

What was he _doing_?

_Was he_- He disrupted her rather frantic thoughts with a gentle thud. Their foreheads were quite literally pressed together. She blinked, not quite sure how to interpret this.

Kai looked up at her and grinned, which she had to admit was becoming pretty repetitive now. "Baby steps, right?"

Jinora simply stared at him as if he'd sprouted a second head. "What did you think I was doing?" he asked, an amused glint in his eyes.

She responded by turning fifty different shades of pink all at once.

Bursting out in peals of easygoing laughter, Kai ran a hand through his already dishevelled hair, as if it would make any difference.

"Nah, I wouldn't do that. Well, not here at least." Catching a glimpse of her crestfallen expression, he added the last sentence as an assurance. "I'd want our first kiss to be special. Something to be remembered forever."

Jinora pursed her lips thoughtfully. She'd never took him for a romantic. It wasn't an unattractive quality to have, after all.

"Then let's make a promise." she held out her pinky finger conspiratorially. "Our first kiss, be it days, or years from now, will always be our most special one, even if we break up."

"Um, first of all, let's _not _break up, Mopey Face. Secondly, that's great and all but can we try to make that months? Because I'm sort of a teenage boy reeking of hormones and whenever you say stuff like that it takes a lot of restraint to not maul you on the spot."

She kept her lips tightly pressed together, rolling her eyes, as she tried to maintain a cool and collected facade, but she could hear a few giggles slipping out anyways.

Stubbornly, she held out her pinky, "It's a good thing you're learning meditation, then isn't it?"

He heaved a dramatic sigh, but wrapped his finger around hers in defeat. "You drive a harsh bargain, but I accept."

His smile, however, said that he wasn't very upset about it.

* * *

><p>One year later, on this exact day, they would have their first kiss amongst the gentle, falling snow. They would stand hand in hand afterwards, soaking in the rich, midnight air and laugh without a care in the world.<p>

Their promise, they kept for a long time, but eventually, they broke it as well. They really did try their best to uphold it, but in the end, their favourite kiss was one many years later, illuminated by the soft glow of the moon, tinting the world a pale yellow, when they could finally call each other husband and wife.

And never did Jinora forget that it was all thanks to her stupid foot.

* * *

><p>Hi there! I hope you enjoyed this chapter, though it was a bit disjointed, I'll admit. Feel free to leave a review or any suggestions on what I should do next!<p>

Have a great day!

Hestia


End file.
